Message 495

Yesterday I watched three NFL games. The Raiders completely disgraced themselves in the morning game. The 49ers looked good in the afternoon game, and I can't even remember who played in the Sunday night game. While watching the games I also read some more of The Economist. In the evening I watched another Inspector Lewis episode on PBS.

Message 494

Yesterday I met Jim at Starbucks. Helen is in Seattle to see her granddaughter, Emily. At noon I went to Los Gatos to watch Caroline in her soccer game. Her team won 2-1. In the afternoon I read some more of The Economist. In the evening, I watched the Sharks beat the Ducks, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year. After disgracing themselves in their first game, they looked really good last night. When the game was over, I watched a DVD of the movie The Secret Life of Words. It was an unusual movie. It was very slow-paced and understated. Most of the scenes were filmed on an oil platform in the North Sea, where the workers are a bunch of misfits and loners, which was very realistic for that kind of job, in my experience. The only cast member I recognized was Tim Robbins. The plot unfolds very slowly, and only with the last scene do all the plot threads get brought together. It eventually gets to be a very powerful and moving film. I give it four stars.

Message 493

Yesterday was a another quiet day at home. I started reading The Economist and watched the usual news shows on PBS. This National Park series is still messing up the schedule. They did not even show Washington Week. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie The Lucky Ones. It was a road movie about three soldiers home on leave. The only cast member I recognized was Tim Robbins, but they were all good. I give it four stars.

Message 492

Yesterday afternoon I took Beech to his Kung Fu class. Afterward I went with Vanessa and the kids to eat dinner at Round Table Pizza. In the evening I watched the Sharks lose to Colorado in the first game of the new NHL season. The Sharks looked pathetic. I also watched a DVD of the movie Martian Child. I did not realize I had seen it before until I was part way into it. It was not good. John Cusack is usually better than this. I give it 2.3 stars. Andrine called this morning to say she is reserving her house and a condo at Tahoe for next summer.

Message 491

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies. I took Annie to day care so Vanessa and I could relax and enjoy our meal. Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Goodbye Solo. It is an unusual independent film with unknown cast and writer/director. It was very well done though, and in spite of the unattractive portrayal of old age, it was an upbeat story. I give it 3.8 stars.

Message 490

Yesterday was another quiet day. I read this weeks Science. The Charlie Rose show was on at noon and was about Iran. I do not understand why it was not on the previous midnight.

In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Rushmore. Aside from a couple of strange and funny bits, I thought it was stupid and boring. Bill Murray usually does better than this. I give it 2.4 stars.

Message 489

Yesterday I had a quiet day. I finished reading The Economist. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Eastern Promises. It was a British movie about Russian gangsters and human trafficking. It was very well done. I give it four stars. Last night for some reason there was no Charlie Rose. These National Park shows are disrupting the usual schedule I suppose. Maybe it will be on today at noon.